Watch This Bright Fireball Crash Into Earth And Litter Canada With Meteorites

If you have ever wanted to find your very own piece of a meteorite, now may be your chance. Astronomers are predicting that a bright fireballe that lit up the sky in Ontario may have littered the area with meteorite fragments when it smashed into Earth's atmosphere.

On April 17th, a fireball lit up the sky in southern Ontario, Canada. Upon further analysis of the video data, astronomers are suggesting fragments of the meteorite may have made it to the ground near the eastern shore of Lake Simcoe, slightly north of the town of Argyle.

The video footage of the meteorite was captured by a network of all-sky cameras run by Western University's Physics and Astronomy Department. Denis Vida, a meteor specialist, said in a Western University statement, "This fireball was particularly significant because it was moving slowly, was on an asteroid orbit, and ended very low in the atmosphere. These are all good indicators that material survived."

Video from more than a dozen all-sky cameras was captured and analyzed of the event, which occurred at 11:37 p.m. EDT local time. Additional footage of the meteorite was captured by cameras belonging to the Global Meteor Network, which is operated by citizen scientists.

Western University shared some footage from the Global Meteor Network cameras, showing the incoming meteorite. Vida estimates the mass of the meteorite at approximately 22 pounds (10 kilograms). He stated, "We would expect tens to hundreds of grams of material on the ground."

Residents and others who may come across any "suspicious rocks" are being asked by the Western University and the Royal Ontario Museum to report their finds by sending an email to naturalhistory@rom.on.ca. It is worth noting that in Canada, meteorites technically belong to the owner of the land on which they are found.

If you do happen to go rock hunting, you will want to keep an eye out for any rocks with a dark color and scalloped texture. These rocks are often very dense as well. Scientists ask that if you do come across one, preserve it in a plastic bag or in aluminum foil. The meteorite fragment does not pose any risk to you, but this will help keep it as uncontaminated as possible.

Vida added, "Meteorites are of great interest to researchers as studying them helps us to understand the formation and evolution of the solar system."

Top Image Courtesy of Western University via YouTube